Companion Mine
by Beautiful-Boy-Love
Summary: Humans were not to be trusted. They were irrational, volatile and without honor. In the end a friendship would afford one of his kind companionship, but never peace. Love, well that was simply out of the equation. My first Tony/Tim
1. Chapter 1

_Eyes on screen, focus, breathe, in out repeat. Don't look, don't turn do not attempt to see. Report, finish report leave. Leave so you may dream, dream as it is the only way you'll sleep this night. _Anthony Dinozzo chanted to himself as he sat before his computer typing out his report at the end of a long day. Long week really if one were to be honest. This case in particular hit hard, hit close to home. Closer than any other had before, closer than he could allow the others composing his team to know. _Breathe in and out. Impersonal be impersonal this is not you not your fight not your kin. Breathe and report report and leave dream so that you may sleep as it is the only way you'll rest._ His thoughts spun again as he gazed blankly at the report mocking him in into cold hard silence the quiet hum of the computer fan a soft annoyance within his sensitive ears.

Victim, if one could really even call her a victim. Lamb to slaughter was more the phrase that came to his mind as his fingers moved monotonously filling in vital information to the closer of this most recent glimpse into the depths of hell itself. Her name was Alana and she never had a chance, 5' 3" a fey creature by any stretch of the imagination. Thick luscious ginger hair. Tony was certain Gibbs would have at least given her a cursory glance seeing his penchant for the cherry headed seductress' of the world at large. That alone would have been enough for the naked human eye to see. She'd fallen before a man nearly twice her size after all, but no. There was more to this story. Much more than anyone would ever know… more than he could ever tell. Sitting back from the glass screen with an exhausted rub to his eyes Anthony let loose a gusty sigh. Easily translated as boredom, exasperation. _Almost done, just a bit more. Don't think just type. Finish and leave, report and go. This doesn't concern you. Not anymore not ever._ If only he could really believe that. Believe that he Anthony Dinozzo could walk blithely away from this unscathed , completely uncompromised. Miraculously unshaken, lying to himself wasn't a past time he allowed himself to indulge in. For one of his kind it was a danger. One that more often than not had been proven fatal.

"You about done with you're report Dinozzo!," a gruff voice pierced his silent contemplation.

"Just about Boss," he replied flicking a jaunty salute towards his stern ex-marine of a boss Leroy Jethro Gibbs. _That was close. _He sighed to himself placing the final period on the case report. E-mailing it to Gibbs he pressed the print icon in the upper right hand corner while simultaneously pressing back from his desk with a quiet groan. Thank God they weren't on call for the weekend. He didn't think he could hold it together for much longer. Setting his printed report to rights with a firm tap and stapling the top he strode to Gibbs' desk threw a lascivious wink at a still busy Kate Todd and tossed it before him. "That's all she wrote boss. See ya on Monday. Got a wild one tonight," he smiled turning to walk towards the elevator his focus on the double grey doors his eyes never once straying to the hunched over figure of one Timothy McGee. He couldn't chance it. Not today. It was too close to the surface , too raw. He'd come to far to loose it for mere convenience.

_One more step. One last line to end the show for the week_. "Have fun slaying dragons Mcgeek!" he tossed over his shoulder entering the elevator with a relieved sigh. Then he was gone. Down to the garage, he exited striding with purpose. His hands began to shake and his breath picked up as he struggled to breathe past the righteous anger building within his chest. Unforgivable, Alana's death was unforgivable and unnecessary. The age old truth laid before him by his mother rang true once more. Humans were not to be trusted. They were irrational, volatile and without honor. In the end a friendship would afford on of his kind companionship, but never peace. Love, well that was simply out of the equation. Not even to be addressed, thought about, or risked.

_In and out breath_. Tony coached himself his white knuckled fists clutching fiercely at the steering wheel of his precious convertible. Another day, the show must go on. No one knew. No one could know, would know. With one last deep breath he started his car and pulled out of the naval yard.


	2. Chapter 2

Anthony DiNozzo took a deep breath as he walked through the door to his apartment turning the lock behind him. Tony wasn't worried about burglars and unlike Gibbs , he had plenty of things to hide. Rolling his neck wearily across his shoulders with a heavy sigh he shrugged and allowed his jacket to fall to the floor in a puddle at his feet, his right hand immediately going for his immaculately snug tie.

_Home now. Safe, in and out and breath_. His inner litany continued, muscles loosening seemingly in tandem with the slipping of the firm stylized knot at his throat.

Shuffling further into his abode Tony slipped his shoes from his feet while continuing the lazy strip of his clothes as he made his way about the room and finally slipping the blinds closed.

What he was about to do was dangerous, daring even, but they were off for the weekend. The Team wasn't on call and even the almighty Gibbs perhaps would take a rest for two days…or perhaps not. Tony thought to himself with a rueful shake of his head. NCIS was Gibbs wife number one and he knew no other way to live, or so it seemed. Taking in a deep breath he slipped his boxers down his hard won toned legs, stepped forward and kicked out of them with practiced ease_. _

_Breath in, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight…,_ He began to count silently, his eyes falling shut as the tension between his shoulder blades eased his entire consciousness, while focusing inward as he breathed in and out.

_Center, find it, Center. Where are you now? _Anthony continued to coach himself, hearing the words in the soft murmur of his late mother's voice. A voice he'd loved, a voice he'd lost, a voice that perhaps was the only voice he fully had ever trusted with his entire being.

Tony continued to breathe, his heart rate slowing, and his breath growing steady. Soon, it would be soon now.

_75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, down Tony. Just go down, baby boy. Let go and trust in yourself. You know what to do. _Once more his mother's voice twirled through the swirling chaos of his mind. The words calming it and slowing it at the same time.

With a shuddering exhalation shoulders dropped, and then it happened. Dropping lightly to his hands and knees Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo shifted and changed.

Where a man once stood an American short hair yawned widely stretching its forepaws before itself. Bright, intelligent tourmaline eyes glowed mischievously from a silver furred face. Two strips of black fur stretched from the corners of the wide eyes ran to the edges of his kitty face almost as though he were wearing eyeliner. Turning a careful circle he arched his back upwards this time his half tiger half cow like silver and black patterned fur rippling over a compact feline muscle culture.

_A cat this time, huh?_ Tony thought to himself as he padded silently through his apartment. Everything seemed so much larger when he was this way. The entertainment center became a virtual rock wall. The couch an obstacle to be leapt over, and his much loved 52" HDTV a black hole that in feline form disturbed him ,its flat opaque dark screen seeming to reflect the inner desolation that curled within the far reaches of his mind, if one were to be honest.

Even with all the apprehension of his smaller form he found himself restless. He wanted to go out. It had been ages since he'd been out in any kind of his alternate forms. His cat was the most publicly acceptable and easiest to be overlooked as ordinary. With a decisive flick of his long two-toned tail he jumped out his window onto a stair well and made his way to the alley. It took some careful pouncing and precise claw work to get down.

_Boy, that was tiresome, _he thought to himself as he made his way out the alley and over the empty street, prancing easily across the soft manicured grass that lined the sidewalk in front of his apartment complex.

_Everything was so much simpler when one was a cat_, Tony thought to himself. Just one tilt of his green eyed furry head would send even the sternest of fellow's cooing just to get a pet of his exotic looking pelt. There was an easy calming effect to himself when this form came out to play and Tony always found himself in an exploring and inquisitive mood.

_Life was good_, he purred quietly to himself, while rounding the corner at the end of his complex in a tranquil frolic.

A soft baying brought him abruptly out of his reverie.

_A Dog! Shit, shit, shit, shit!_ He chanted to himself while breaking out in an all out run.

In his absentminded wanderings, Tony had brought himself to the dog park that he ran through on his many jogs in human form.

_Great job, DiNozzo, now you're going to have to find a tree. You KNOW what trees do to you in this form! _The NCIS agent hissed to himself while picking up speed as the soft baying became loud insistent barking with interwoven growls slipping between the cacophony.

_This is just not my day_, Tony sighed as his heart beat quickly within his chest. The Dog had caught his scent and he couldn't shake him.

_Tree damnit, I need a fucking tree!_

He swerved right, then left, but couldn't locate any of the trees he saw on his everyday jog, just more and more grass. The animal was gaining and he could practically feel the heated breath dodging his wildly flickering tail. The dog was a large one. Fast too. Tony knew the only advantage he'd had was the warning bark and a long head start.

_Tree! Finally, salvation_. Tony thought and his heart surged as his tourmaline feline gaze fell upon the tall, strong oak tree.

One leap became two, three, four, and then he was scrambling and clawing frantically into the lower reaches of the tree , making his way to the top branches that offered safety. Once he safely ensconced within the branches his feline nature was unable to resist teasing the baying quadruped grounded at the trees base.

_Thank god dogs can't climb trees_, he thought to himself even as his tail flicked teasingly from his perch within the strong old tree, _Cats totally rule._

"Jethro? JETHRO, GET BACK HERE!" a familiar voice bellowed.

Tony froze as his heart constricted painfully within his chest. Sure enough the now lithe figure of one Timothy McGee came pelting through the dog park with an empty leashed collar swinging from his right hand.

_Perfect, just, perfect_. Tony intoned and turned to try and slip away before his probie lifted his head and spotted the object of the usually well-behaved retired police dog's behavior. It was a futile effort and the single movement threw him into heart stopping vertigo. His claws slipped unbidden from his paws holding tight to the branch on which he perched and despite all effort, a strangled pathetic mew slipped from his throat. People thought cats were just dumb for getting stuck up trees without realizing they were simply acrophobic, which is a matter that is quite hard to remember when one is being chased by a set of rapid claws with teeth.

_Breathe, just breath, in and out and maybe, just maybe he didn't hear you_. Tony prayed and thought that with all the baying Jethro was doing it was a viable possibility. Tony continued pressing himself close to his chosen perch concealing himself even as his lithe body began to tremble, another mew working its way up his throat_. _

_No, damn it! I'm not just a cat; I'm a man, for god's sakes._ Tony spat at himself, but it was a futile argument he'd had with himself before and he knew that when shifted his other form's behavior more often than not overrode his base human nature.

"Well, hello there," a soft crooning voice reached his flickering ears. Tim had seen him and from the looks of it he looked sympathetic.

_Fuck, spotted, this is not good, _Tony thought to himself even as Tim started to reach up to pluck him from the branches.

Tony went to scatter, but Tim quietly whispered comfort, his voice a soft tone Tony'd never heard before murmuring stay. He felt his limbs lock up , feline eyes wide when a strange compulsion overcame him and he allowed Tim to cradle him into his chest.


End file.
